Fossils are the remains of various plants and animals that existed a long time ago and are mainly used as clues by geologists to investigate the earth’s history. When they are studied, they help in collecting information about the earth’s past. They can also allow scientists to date the rocks in which these fossils were trapped. They may also enable the scientists to figure out the various environmental and climatic conditions present during that era and successfully trace the evolution of different species. However, it isn’t just scientists who can study fossils. Still, students looking to increase their vast knowledge about their planet’s history and suppliers such as Fossilicious can reliably provide you with the necessary material.
How Are Fossils Formed?
Fossils are formed whenever an organism perishes. The hard parts of its body, such as the bones, skeletons, or shells, are buried under deep sediment layers. Over time, these sediments tend to harden, which allows them to retain the remains’ shape. After millions of years, the earth’s geological movement or excavations are responsible for returning the fossils to the surface.
What Information Can We Get from Fossils?
Through the study of these fossils, we can collect valuable information about life’s origin and evolution on earth.
- Structure
Scientists can use fossils to get an idea of the body structure of different organisms in the past. We can tell what animals and plants looked like in the past and how they evolved over millions of years.
- Environment
During their extraction, fossils’ conditions can indicate the type of environment that the concerned organisms were exposed to. For example, if a discovered fossil is well-preserved and complete, it might suggest that the organism lived in an area with wet, muddy ground that is usually too soft to support heavy bodies.
- Evolution
When scientists find similar fossils of different ages, they can understand how different organisms evolved and changed during the millions of years that passed.
- Dating
Dating techniques, such as carbon dating, can be used on fossils to determine the timeline in which various organisms existed on the planet. Scientists use multiple types of information, such as the depth of the fossils buried in the ground.
- Geology
When similar fossils are discovered in different areas, it can indicate various earth’s crust movement patterns. This movement is responsible for scattering the remains of organisms that once existed in a single area.
What are the 7 types of Fossils?
- Sediment Fossils
Sediments can be described as loose material, such as rock pieces, pebbles, sand, silt, clay, boulders, or dead organisms, that get broken away and carried. Sediments are said to be deposited whenever they move and settle in an area. Over millions of years, these sediments are deposited on top of each other. The excess weight and pressure exerted transform them into sedimentary rocks that preserve fossils.
- Petrified Fossils
These are fossils that occur when minerals replace bones or the hard parts of an organism. The organism becomes trapped and, over millions of years, turned into rock. Dinosaur bones are commonly found as petrified fossils.
- Trace Fossils
These types of fossils include tracks, footprints, burrows, and trails that living organisms may have made.
- Cast Fossils
This type of fossil is a model that takes the shape of a living organism or its remains. It tends to be formed whenever minerals or rock particles fill in the mold space.
- Mold Fossils
These fossils are described as the spaces in rocks with various living organisms and which were once occupied by the same organisms. The presence of human ancestors that walked on two legs has also been found in mold fossils.
- Coprolite Fossils
Sometimes, animal dung remains (waste/poop) can be petrified and preserved over a long period. These types of fossils are known as Coprolite fossils.
- Imprints
These fossils are impressions (like a stamp) of various plants and animals left in the soil before they hardened. They are mostly made of thin objects like fish, feathers, and leaves.
- You Too Can Own Fossils
Today, fossils aren’t only considered historic valuables that need to be preserved in museums or studied in a lab by scientists alone but also useful education material that students and other interested parties can own. You, however, need to find a genuine and proper source for your fossils, and Fossilicious can be your most reliable supplier. If you’re interested in growing your prehistoric collector’s library or starting with a few genuine dinosaur fossils, visit our website and explore our variety of options.
